A continuous biking and walking trail winding through 100 miles worth of Southland towns as part of a 500-mile regional trail keeps moving closer to reality.

Officials and enthusiasts on Sunday celebrated the opening of the extensions of the Thorn Creek Trail and Old Plank Road Trail with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at a Chicago Heights access point to the Thorn Creek Trail.

The event marked the completion of the Thorn Creek Trail extension and its connection to the Old Plank Road Trail. The Thorn Creek Trail extension offers more than 16 miles of a continuous paved trail and completes a significant portion of the 500-mile Grand Illinois Trail, according to the Cook County Forest Preserve District.

Among those excited about the trail are Larry and Mary-Lynn Mysz, a Chicago Heights couple who were on hand for Sunday's ribbon-cutting. They are members of the Folks on Spokes Bicycle Club, a Southland bicycle enthusiasts group that brought dozens of members to the ribbon-cutting.

"I think it's great we now have a connection for the people who are not particular experienced cyclists and are nervous about riding on roads," said Larry Mysz, 73.

He and his wife see the extension as a great asset for the Chicago Heights community. The extension consists of continuous a 10-foot-wide paved trail that provides connections to the Old Plank Road Trail and the Burnham Greenway and links Lansing, Lynwood, Thornton, Homewood, Glenwood, Park Forest and Chicago Heights.

Meanwhile, the Old Plank Road Trail project is almost complete. It connects paved trail from Western Avenue in Park Forest to Campbell Avenue in Chicago Heights.

Both will be a part of the Southland Century, a trail that extends 100 miles through the Southland, and the Grand Illinois Trail.

Officials opened the latest spur by cutting multiple ribbons that stretched out in several directions and resembled the spokes of a bicycle tire.

Residents in Chicago Heights and other communities along the spur now have easy access to the trail system and to other communities, Chicago Heights Mayor David Gonzalez said.

"Now we can actually pick up a bike and go bike riding with the family or walk and socialize with a friend," he said. "The possibilities are unlimited."

In 2013, the Forest Preserves Recreational Master Plan established how recreation opportunities would be improved. A major focus of it has been enhancing and connecting regional trails.

Arnold Randall, general superintendent for the Cook County Forest Preserve District, said the public considers the trails a "highly rated recreational activity."

For more information about the Thorn Creek Trail, visit www.fpdcc.com. For more Information about the Old Plank Road Trail, visit www.oprt.org.